Small Bite Meals From Around The World

I just love eating a meal with friends that is a collection of small dishes making up one big entree. Whether it's washing down izakaya with a cold Asahi, nibbling on tapas with some sangria, or enjoying a morning of dim sum and hot tea, I find them all very satisfying. I started thinking about how various cultures in the world have their own way of combining small bites into a meal, so I made up a comprehensive list.

Let me know if I missed any!

Asia:China: dim sum - light dishes served with teaJapan: izakaya - cooked bar snacks, like tapas, served in an izakaya bar with beer and sochuKorea: banchan - small dishes of food served with cooked riceThe Philippines: pika-pika and pulutan - little bites of meats and seafood eaten with alcoholic beverages

North America:Hawaii: pu-pu platter - A variety of hot bites served alongside a small flame for further cooking, and a tropical drink accompaniment

South America:Argentina: minutas and picadas - small bites served with wine, very much like the tapas of Spain

Europe:France: hors d'œuvresSpain: tapas - hot and cold appetizer dishes Greece: pikilia - a collection of small dishes and dips served with pita bread and ouzoRussia: zakuski - a variety of small appetizers served with vodkaItaly: antipasti - a variety of items on one plate, either served as a starter before a main course, or is the main course itselfVenice, Italy: ciccetti - small appetizers served with white wineThe Netherlands: voorgerechten - hors d'œuvres-type plates Germany: vorspeisen - hors d'œuvres-type platesScandinavia: smörgåsbord - a collection of hot and cold plates served with slices of dark bread and drunk with aqavit

The Middle East and North Africa:Middle East/Arabic countries: meze - a collection of finger foods served hot or cold, with an anise-based liquor like arak, or wineMorocco: kemia - small finger foods